Memes
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I’ve started a now page
It will be updated periodically – check it out here
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The Christmas meme
Soob (using a Christmas picture I used a while back) has tagged me with the Christmas meme, here we go…
- Wrapping or gift bags? – An even mix of both
- Real or artificial tree? – Real, no question, it’s just not Christmas without a fire hazard somewhere
- When do you put up the tree? – Actually I haven’t had a tree in years. I do have a Festivus pole.
- When do you take the tree down? – It used to be new years day, not it’s not that relevant
- Do you like egg nog? – a little bit on Christmas Eve and Day
- Favorite gift received as a child? – Probably an erector set. That was a long time ago though.
- Do you have a nativity scene? – Hah, no.
- Worst Christmas gift you ever received? – There are no bad gifts, but “Poisonous Plans, the book” comes closest. The Hustler trading card set I got one year was probably the most inappropriate. Fortunately I was advised to open that early.
- Mail or email Christmas cards? – Neither. I ‘ve never sent those out
- Favorite Christmas Movie? – The Wild Strawberries, I don’t know why, but it gives everything a sense of contrast.
- When do you start shopping for Christmas? – Usually the last day I can get free shipping on things.
- Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? – Corn pudding and broccoli casserole, by a substantial margin
- Clear lights or colored on the tree? – Colored
- Favorite Christmas song(s)? – This one – also the Tom Lehrer Christmas Carol and Sorriest Christmas by the Diggers
- Travel at Christmas or stay home? – I usually travel about 20 miles to be with family.
- Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? – Probably, but I choose not to.
- Angel on the tree top or a star? – Star
- Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas Morning? – Morning
- Most annoying thing about this time of year? – Hearing baby boom generation pundits talk about a “War on Christmas” because the holiday isn’t exactly how they remember it when they were twelve.
- Do you decorate your tree in any specific theme or color? – Invisible!
- What do you leave for Santa? – A copy of Atlas Shrugged
- Least favorite holiday song? – No idea
- Favorite ornament? – One that doesn’t fall
- Family tradition? – The weird round robin phone calls with distant relatives. And the togetherness.
- Ever been to Midnight Mass or late-night Christmas Eve services? – Every Christmas actually.
I think everyone else has been tagged.
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An interesting thought experiment
PurpleSlog has an interesting thought experiment of What Five Places/Events Would You Visit With A Time Machine? They are
- Israel at the start of Christianity (the same as PurpleSlogs)
- The Kennedy Assassination – I’m partial to the Oswald acted alone theory, but it would be nice to know for sure.
- The Russian revolution
- The writing of the US Declaration of Independence and Constitution
- The White House with Lincoln during the Civil War
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A vanishing meme
One pleasantly departed meme is “War is good for the economy”. While never true (you can’t destroy human and physical capital and have a net increase in the economy) I haven’t heard it that much in the past few years.
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An interesting article on demographics
While I disagree with him about the value of absolute number in military conflict (that has become increasingly less meaningful over time, particularly in the past 100 years) It’s a very interesting read, and falls into my own general meme that self-selection is the dominant force in our society.